I heart camping. I was especially excited to write this post after our camping trip and share some of our go to camping food. Although it was good fun, there were some challenges along the way, and so I decided to compile a little list for you. You can check it out at the bottom of this post. But first, here is what we ate and the pics are below.

1. In the great outdoors of camping land, bug spray ≠tick prevention. Those little turds were freakin everywhere. We picked hundreds off…I’m not even exaggerating. HUNDREDS. SICK.

2. Kids never stop eating. No matter how much food you bring those kids are still hungry and want more and more snacks. I always say “well, they must be growing!” But they are always growing right? They’re kids. Please please pray for me during the teenage years.

3. You can check the weather before your trip but know that it doesn’t really matter. What’s the difference between 30% or 70% chance of rain? On the day it was more of a chance nothing happened, and the day it was less it literally DOWN POURED on us. The good news is that I actually got a shower!

4. It doesn’t matter what time you stop drinking, you’ll still have to pee in the middle of the night. Never fails. I’ve experimented and I’ve held off from drinking around the campfire just cause I didn’t want to get out of the tent but noooo, still woke up, still had to get out in the pitch black and pray that no bugs or animals were going to jump into my you know what while I squatted. So just have your campfire drink(s) and know you’ll need to pee in the middle of night and to all you men out there, you suck.

5. You will not have quality sleep. See #4. Also, you’ll hear things…maybe animals…maybe other people…who knows…You’ll feel things, maybe bugs? Maybe another freakin tick. You’ll get hot, you’ll get cold. Someone will be smushing you. The kids are crying, the dog is barking. You’ll be scratching your tick bites. Something. There will always be something from preventing you from reaching that beautiful R.E.M. sleep.

6. Tick bites will still appear on your crotch no matter if you wear camping pants tucked into your rainbow socks or not (see picture below, of the outfit, not the bites). I hate them! Why why why do they have to go for the crotch!?! It’s bad enough that they are there but even worse that they leave you bites that will itch for weeks after. Cause it looks real cute scratching your crotch and butt in public. Thank you ticks.

7. Someone will get hurt, injured, get sick for who knows what so be prepared for anything. Most campgrounds are out where there is not cell phone reception which is kinda nice, but also not if there happens to be a situation. Pack your emergency kit accordingly.

8. Camping is not the “simple life.” It will take a full day to plan, pack and get food and gear. It will take another full day to unpack, detick, and do mountains of laundry. I’m not lying.

9. Ticks are from the devil.

10. Despite it all, you will have loads of fun and be talking about doing it all again soon. Good luck and have fun!